RISC Architecture: A Comprehensive Guide for Computer Science Students

Question 1

What is a fundamental design principle of Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) architectures?

Accepted Answer

Simple instructions executed in a single clock cycle

Answer

Complex instructions executed over multiple clock cycles

Answer

Focus on memory-to-memory operations

Answer

Use of microcode to implement complex instructions

Question 2

Which design principle is NOT a characteristic of RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

Complex addressing modes

Answer

Simple instructions

Answer

Extensive register operations

Answer

Hardwired control mechanisms

Question 3

Which of the following is a fundamental design characteristic of Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) architectures?

Accepted Answer

Use of a large number of general-purpose registers

Answer

Complex instruction encoding

Answer

Emphasis on extensive pipelining

Answer

Support for virtual memory

Question 4

In RISC architectures, instructions typically have a:

Accepted Answer

Fixed length

Answer

Variable length

Answer

Variable format

Answer

Complex encoding

Question 5

In a RISC design, registers are primarily used for:

Accepted Answer

Storing data and addresses

Answer

Implementing complex instructions

Answer

Managing memory operations

Answer

Reducing pipeline hazards

Question 6

Pipelining in RISC architectures is primarily aimed at:

Accepted Answer

Increasing instruction throughput

Answer

Reducing memory access time

Answer

Enhancing floating-point operations

Answer

Simplifying branch prediction

Question 7

A RISC instruction typically includes:

Accepted Answer

A single operation code

Answer

Multiple operands

Answer

Complex addressing modes

Answer

Variable length encoding

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of using RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

Increased power consumption

Answer

Improved performance

Answer

Reduced complexity

Answer

Enhanced compiler optimization

Question 9

In a RISC architecture, a load instruction typically moves data from:

Accepted Answer

Memory to register

Answer

Register to register

Answer

Register to memory

Answer

Memory to accumulator

Question 10

A RISC processor typically has a(n):

Accepted Answer

Small number of simple instructions

Answer

Large number of complex instructions

Answer

Hybrid instruction set

Answer

No fixed instruction format

Question 11

Which fundamental principle guides the design of RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

Concise instruction set

Answer

Extensive instruction encoding

Answer

Abundant registers

Answer

Extensive pipelining

Question 12

In RISC architectures, the primary role of registers is to:

Accepted Answer

Store intermediate results during instruction execution

Answer

Solely hold data

Answer

Hold both data and memory addresses

Answer

Cache frequently executed instructions

Question 13

The implementation of pipelining in RISC architectures is primarily aimed at:

Accepted Answer

Accelerating instruction execution

Answer

Reducing memory latency

Answer

Enhancing branch prediction accuracy

Answer

Optimizing cache utilization

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT considered an advantage of RISC architecture?

Accepted Answer

Increased code complexity

Answer

Enhanced instruction execution speed

Answer

Reduced energy consumption

Answer

Improved compiler efficiency

Question 15

The ARM architecture is an example of a:

Accepted Answer

RISC architecture

Answer

CISC architecture

Answer

EPIC architecture

Answer

VLIW architecture

Question 16

The rationale behind the reduced instruction set in RISC architectures is to:

Accepted Answer

Simplify instruction execution

Answer

Delegate complex operations to software

Answer

Utilize a wider data bus

Answer

Minimize register usage

Question 17

A key advantage of using RISC architectures in embedded systems is their:

Accepted Answer

Reduced power consumption

Answer

Enhanced performance

Answer

Improved security

Answer

Increased fault tolerance

Question 18

How do more registers and smart register allocation typically affect RISC architecture performance?

Accepted Answer

They boost performance by decreasing the need to access memory.

Answer

They have no real impact on how well RISC architectures perform.

Answer

RISC architectures always stick to a set number of registers, no matter the program.

Answer

Only the cache size matters for RISC performance, not the number of registers.

Question 19

Which primary principle of RISC architecture focuses on simplicity and efficiency?

Accepted Answer

Minimal instruction set

Answer

Complex instruction encoding

Answer

Emphasis on addressing modes

Answer

Extensive use of memory-mapping registers

Question 20

RISC architectures typically utilize what type of register file structure?

Accepted Answer

Small, fixed-size register file

Answer

Large, variable-size register file

Answer

Stack-based register file

Answer

Cache-based register file

Question 21

In a RISC pipeline, which stage is responsible for retrieving the instruction from memory?

Accepted Answer

Instruction Fetch

Answer

Instruction Decode

Answer

Instruction Execution

Answer

Result Writeback

Question 22

In a RISC pipeline, the ________ stage is responsible for executing the instruction.

Accepted Answer

Execute

Answer

Fetch

Answer

Decode

Question 23

Which of the following instruction encoding formats is commonly used in RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

One-address

Answer

Two-address

Answer

Three-address

Question 24

RISC architectures often rely on ________ to improve performance.

Accepted Answer

Both caching and virtual memory

Answer

Caching

Answer

Virtual memory

Question 25

RISC architectures are particularly well-suited for ________.

Accepted Answer

General-purpose computing

Answer

Floating-point operations

Answer

Graphics processing

Question 26

Which of the following is a limitation of RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

Potentially larger code size

Answer

Increased susceptibility to errors

Answer

Higher power consumption

Question 27

In a RISC architecture, the ________ unit is typically responsible for decoding instructions.

Accepted Answer

Control Unit

Answer

Arithmetic Logic Unit

Answer

Memory Management Unit

Question 28

Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) architectures prioritize which design principle?

Accepted Answer

Simpler instructions with a limited instruction set

Answer

Complicated instructions with an extensive instruction set

Answer

Increased clock speeds and large cache sizes

Answer

Focus on complex microcode and hardwired control

Question 29

RISC architectures typically employ which type of instruction encoding format?

Accepted Answer

Fixed-length instructions

Answer

RISC-V specific instructions

Answer

Variable-length instructions

Question 30

What primary advantage does the use of numerous registers provide in RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

Reduced memory accesses

Answer

Enhanced clock speeds

Answer

Simplified instruction decoding

Answer

Increased instruction count

Question 31

RISC pipelines commonly consist of how many stages?

Accepted Answer

5-stage pipeline

Answer

Variable-length pipeline

Answer

3-stage pipeline

Answer

7-stage pipeline

Question 32

What is the central objective of pipelining in RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

To maximize instruction throughput

Answer

To optimize only memory access

Answer

To improve solely branch prediction accuracy

Answer

To reduce exclusively cache misses

Question 33

Which aspect is NOT a key distinction between RISC and Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) architectures?

Accepted Answer

Cache utilization

Answer

Instruction set size and complexity

Answer

Instruction encoding approach

Answer

Number of registers employed

Question 34

RISC processors are predominantly designed with which objectives in mind?

Accepted Answer

High performance coupled with low power consumption

Answer

Exclusively for specialized and embedded systems

Answer

Low cost and exceptional reliability

Answer

Compatibility with legacy applications

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of reduced instruction complexity in RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

Slower instruction decoding

Answer

Enhanced pipeline performance

Answer

Reduced power consumption

Answer

Increased code density

Question 36

Identify the primary reason behind the high performance of RISC architectures:

Accepted Answer

Combination of simplified instructions, efficient pipelining, and reduced instruction count

Answer

Sole reliance on complex instructions with extensive addressing modes

Answer

Exclusive focus on large cache sizes and high clock speeds

Question 37

Which concept is a fundamental design principle of RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

Simplicity and limited instruction set

Answer

High clock speed and complex control logic

Answer

Large cache and complex instruction set

Answer

Few addressing modes and variable instruction length

Question 38

RISC architectures typically employ which type of memory access model?

Accepted Answer

Load-store architecture

Answer

Accumulator architecture

Answer

Stack-based architecture

Question 39

Pipelining in RISC architectures serves the purpose of:

Accepted Answer

Overlapping instruction execution to enhance performance

Answer

Accelerating instruction fetch

Answer

Reducing instruction decoding time

Answer

Minimizing memory access time

Question 40

Which attribute is characteristic of RISC instruction sets?

Accepted Answer

Orthogonal instruction encoding

Answer

Variable-length instructions

Answer

Inherent addressing modes

Answer

Complex addressing modes

Question 41

RISC architectures are particularly suitable for which computing domain?

Accepted Answer

Embedded and mobile systems

Answer

Vector processing applications

Answer

Mainframe computing

Answer

Large-scale supercomputing

Question 42

The defining characteristic that distinguishes RISC from CISC architectures is:

Accepted Answer

Instruction complexity and size

Answer

Bus architecture

Answer

Processor clock speed

Answer

Memory organization

Question 43

Which groundbreaking microprocessor is credited with popularizing the RISC architecture?

Accepted Answer

Berkeley RISC

Answer

DEC VAX

Answer

Motorola 68020

Answer

Intel 80386

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT a defining characteristic of Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) architectures?

Accepted Answer

Complex instructions

Answer

Few addressing modes

Answer

Emphasis on register usage

Answer

Pipelining

Question 45

What is the primary advantage of employing a RISC architecture?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced performance at a lower cost compared to CISC architectures

Answer

Increased system reliability

Answer

Enhanced multithreading capabilities

Answer

Simplified programming experience

Question 46

Which of the following instruction encoding schemes is commonly employed in RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

Fixed-length instructions

Answer

Compressed instructions

Answer

Variable-length instructions

Answer

Threaded code

Question 47

What is the primary purpose of maintaining a large register file in a RISC architecture?

Accepted Answer

To reduce the frequency of memory accesses, improving performance

Answer

To increase instruction-level parallelism

Answer

To enhance branch prediction accuracy

Answer

To simplify instruction decoding

Question 48

Which technique is commonly used in RISC architectures to maximize instruction throughput?

Accepted Answer

Pipelining

Answer

Branch prediction

Answer

Superscalar execution

Answer

Speculative execution

Question 49

Explain the fundamental difference between a load instruction and a store instruction in a RISC architecture?

Accepted Answer

Load: moves data from memory into a register; Store: moves data from a register to memory

Answer

Load: reads data from a register; Store: writes data to a register

Answer

Load is used for input operations; Store is used for output operations

Question 50

Describe the primary distinction between Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) and RISC architectures?

Accepted Answer

CISC: complex instructions, few registers; RISC: simple instructions, many registers

Answer

CISC: fixed instruction length; RISC: variable instruction length

Question 51

Identify a potential disadvantage of using a RISC architecture?

Accepted Answer

May necessitate more instructions to execute the same task compared to a CISC architecture

Answer

Increased design complexity

Answer

Less efficient memory utilization

Question 52

What is the primary function of a compiler in a RISC system?

Accepted Answer

Translates high-level code into RISC instructions

Answer

Verifies the correctness of RISC code

Answer

Optimizes the performance of RISC code